The weapon of choice for any Doctor. His most valuable ally in any intergalactic battle. His constant companion (aside from, you know, his actual "companion").

Hardcore fans of "Doctor Who," many of whom own their own version of a sonic screwdriver, have seen every Doctor put this multifunctional tool to use since its introduction on the long-running sci-fi series in 1968.

But filmmaker Patrick Willems wondered, why haven't we seen the sonic screwdriver elsewhere, like in action movies for example?

As the New York City resident demonstrated, a sonic screwdriver would kind of ruin the suspense for everyone.

Check out his video, the latest in a series of fandom-centric films he has posted to YouTube, and elsewhere, as well as our chat with him, after the jump. (Warning: The video contains one scene of graphic violence.)FULL POST

Wednesday is the best day of the week because that’s when the new books arrive in stores. Here are some of the comics scheduled to hit the shelves on November 2, 2011. Your local retailer will probably have these and others, so make sure to check with them for more details.

This week I am excited to read Marvel Comics Avenging Spider-Man #1. Marvel was nice enough to give me sneak peek at this book. The art is well done and the writing is funny and exciting all at the same time.

I also got a chance to talk to series editor Steve Wacker.

CNN: What can the readers look forward to as this series progresses?

Wacker: The best of everything Marvel every month. We’ll have our top talent matched with our top super hero Spider-Man as he meets the denizens of the Marvel Universe … such as Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Wolverine.

CNN: What separates this Spider-Man book from the web-slinger's many other titles available these days?

Wacker: Our flagship title "Amazing Spider-Man" is published twice a month and in that title we really get into the life of Peter Parker and how he struggles to maintain his identity as Spider-Man.

This new sister title "Avenging Spider-Man" focuses almost solely on Spider-Man, so really it’s just the battles, the exciting, death-defying visuals fans are dying to see.

Also, "Avenging Spider-Man" #1 is the first issue that Marvel will offer a digital combo pack and kicks off their day and date release of the digital products.

So there you have it, Spider-Man titles categorized by a man who knows what he's talking about. Is there a comic out there besides Spider-Man that you are really loving? If so let us know in the comments. We are always looking for tips on good comics! FULL POST

On a blank sheet of paper, for reasons he couldn’t explain, one of the world’s most beloved authors scribbled the words “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” – a sentence that would become the opening line to a book that would pave the way into Middle-earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien may not have initially known what the word “hobbit” entailed, but with any great story, it began with a simple idea – an idea that flourished into one of the most celebrated pieces of literature.

“The first journey all started with The Hobbit, which is why it’s so treasured. The book is in every word a classic,” Clifford Broadway, writer for TheOneRing.net (TORn) said. “The first journey is always the most memorable and leaves the strongest impression on readers.”

TORn is the online destination for news, rumors, and discussion of Tolkien's work and of media based on his work. Peter Jackson's film adaptions of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are frequent topics of Tolkien fan conversation on TORn.

Nearly seventy-five years later, Tolkien’s inventive world has continued to endure. And it seems it has also endured beyond his written work– both penning Middle-earth into existence and expanding on his fantasy masterpiece through visual language. FULL POST

About this Blog

It takes one to know one. When it comes to topics of interest to nerds, geeks, and superfans, we know how true that is. Geek Out! features stories from a nerd's perspective that you can still share with your "normal" friends and family.